1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally related to an apparatus and a method for correction based upon detecting a deviation from a proper position of a camera, and more particularly is related to an apparatus for correcting deviation from the proper camera position caused by shaking, such as hand shaking.
2. Background of the Invention
Digital video cameras and digital still cameras, are kinds of cameras which are well known. When those kinds of cameras shoot a subject, the optical system of the camera brings rays of light corresponding to the subject to a focus at an image pickup device and changes the information of the light into the electric signals.
When the camera shaking occurs in the digital video camera, taken pictures slightly oscillate according to the camera shaking. Therefore, it is hard to watch the reproduced pictures of the digital video camera.
In the digital still camera, the camera can not realize the short exposure time because the sensitivity of the image pickup device is limited. The digital still camera goes out of focus when the camera shaking occurs.
Therefore, the pictures taken by the digital still camera become blurry.
Certain cameras have a function of correcting deviation caused by a slight oscillation based on a hand of an operator holding the camera shaking or by another cause for making the camera shake.
There are some methods for detecting a camera shaking, and such methods utilize devices such as angular velocity sensors, a piezoelectric gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an optically detecting sensor. As another method for correcting a camera shaking, an image processing method is also known. The most popular method for addressing camera shaking utilizes a piezoelectric gyro sensor for detecting a rotary motion of the camera body.
Furthermore, detecting methods that utilize combinations of the above devices have been suggested.
When the camera is required to operate with extreme precision, the detecting system of the camera has to have six sensors and six actuators. The three sensors detect rotations around each three axes. The other three sensors detect parallel motions along each three axes. The actuators also adjust the optical devices such as the CCD or the lens according to the output of the sensors.
However, the present inventor has realized that if the camera includes the six sensors and the six actuators, the whole size of the camera is huge.
The direction of the camera shaking most susceptible to taking an image is a side-to-side motion that is called yawing and an up-and-down motion that is called pitching.
If the other camera shakings are ignored, the system absolutely needs two sensors and two actuators.
In this case, even if the camera is equipped with four devices, the size of the camera is still big.